Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-09
CANADIAN ANNEXATION.
Its Desirability Discussed by Well
Rnown Canadian Journalist
rc,aofo1 C.o,-,o,,,o-lz,


Mnown Canadian Journalist.
Especial Correspondence
OTTAWA, Ont, March 81.
The desirability of annexation with the
United States is urged by a large sec
ton of the Canadian population. Strange
as it may appear, every phase of
the fishery dispute, from the seizure
of the first fishing vessel down to the signing
of the Edmunds retaliatory bill by President
Cleveland, has only served to forge another
link in the chain of sympathy which it is felt
should bind the two countries together. The
existence of this sentiment is easily
accounted for, as Canaoa has every
thing to gain and practically moth
ing to lose by such union.
1t is not to be inferred from the existence
of the feeling, however, that Canadians as
whole are disloyal or wanting in patriotism.
On the contrary it is exceedingly doubtful
whether such intense loyalty is to be found In
any other colony Of Great Britain as obtainsin
Canada, but this loyalty receives very little
encouragement from the mother country, and
comparatively little attention is paid to Cana
dian affairs when compared with the consider
alton accorded either Indian or Australian
matters With this fact forced upon them, the
growth Of reactionary sentiment among Ca
nadians is not to be wondered at. Besides, the
people are sick of having their country made
the dumping ground for paupers and meier
do-weels from the large cities Of Great Britain,
who tax its charitable institutions to the ut
most extent and tend to hamper and cripple
the energies and enterprise of the whole COM
munity. This does not refer to that class Of
emigrants who with willing hands and honest
purpose come out with the determine
lion Of earning the living which is
denied them at home, and of building
up the country at the same time. Unfor-
tunately, that class is too often diverted into
other channels, and goes to swell the popula-
tions Of the Australian colonies.
On the other hand are Canada and the
United States. two immense countries OF I'M
limited natural resources, separated but by an
Imaginary line which, if removed, would
omen I'D unlimited possibilities of commercial
intercourse TO the mutual enrichment, benefit
and development of both countries, besides
welding them together into an empire which
all the powers of earth combined could not rup-
ture. In addition to these natural advantages
Canada is distinctively more American than
British Her political institutions are nodded
more after the principle Of the former than
the latter, while her social distinctions are on
a much broader basis than those of Great
Britain. In a word there are commercial,
political and social ties existing between the
two countries which neither the national
protective policy of the present Tory govern
nent nor the motherly solicitude of Great
Britain have been able to extinguish. The
Canuck is not an Englishman, but distinct
creation by himself, and his English SYM
pathies are more traditional than any
thing else. Besides, a considerable pro-
portion of the population are French,
and it would be prepoSterous to conclude
that they could or do entertain any exces-
sively patriotic feelings toward Great Britain
A still closer tie exists between Canada and
the United States, namely, that Of consan-
guinity, for fully one-third the population of
Canada have American blood in their veins,
while a large proportion of the commerce,
notably the lumber industry, is controlled by
Americans. In view of all these influences,
nc Is surprishl9 that a strong feeling ex
lis Cenada in favor of annexation to the
Uuibed States. This sentiment finds express
sion = a variety Of ways, and its intensity
cen : dyed by its influence on Canadian
pol'+'" tNT lstance, no reasonable man can
doubt that me secession cry which was raised
througho It the length and breadth of Nova
Scotia last June, and echoed in New Bruins
wick and Prince Edward Island, was the
direct outcome of this sentiment, stimulated
by a keen appreciation of the loss the province
sustained owirg to the barriers placed in the
WY Of free numerical intercourse with the
United Statas Then again the agitation for
q commerce. reciprocity treaty, which crops
up periodically throughout all the provinces,
is another expression Of this sentiment. In
L.. L..
ton become drTing The past year that the gov
eminent has sought to allay it by holding
out vague assurances that negotiations were
pending between the imperial and United
States authorities for the conclusion Of such
treaty, although such was Numerically OPP
posed to the protective policy, the chief plank
in the government platform. The public
debt Of Canada is so great that it would be
impossible to carry on the affairs of the coun-
try without a high revenue tariff. The gov
eminent claims its recent victory to be due
to public appreciation of the national policy,
but it can be seriously questioned whether the
result of the elections was not rather due to a
reactionary feeling on the Riel cry and Sc
ceSsion movement The passage of the re-
.aliatory bill has caused downright conster-
alton in commercial circles, and although
anadians naturally uphold the defensive
! ,Sition they have assumed on the fishery
u. estion, still they are thoroughly disguised
at the,contemptuous manner in which their
representatives have been treated by the i'm
perial authorities Consequently in the midst
OF it all there is a deep underlying feeling in
favor Of union with the great republic, and
by that means the complete extinction forever
of all differences between two peoples who are
geographically, politically, commercially and
socially intended to be one.
OF course it is questionable whether the
United States would care for annexation
with Canada, for the assumption Of an extra
public debt of 500, OO0, 600 would require not
a little consideration, and would be decided
barrier in the way. If, however, in the
constitutional changes which are likely
to be made within the next few years, the
matter should be seriously contemplated,
hearty cooperation may be safely expected
on the part of the majority of Canadians. 20
litical exigencies may demand such union,
and it is not at all probable that Great Brit
ain will regret getting rid of colony peopled
by two distinct races and creeds, eternally at
variance with each other, condition of
affairs which, under the present regime, ex-
ercises a detrimental effect on the interests OF
the colony, although if the population was
assinlilated with that of the great republic its
influence would not be felt.
JOHN J. SYMEs.
TIE HLlIN=-E IN NEW Work